Drum cartridge and developing cartridge capable of suppressing variation in position of electrical contact surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12585222-B2
Application number	US-202519232173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2025
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge including a storage medium having an electrical contact surface is detachably attachable; a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; and a conveying roller. The drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction and positioned at one end portion of the frame in a second direction. The transfer roller is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction and in contact with the drum. The conveying roller is rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction and separated from the transfer roller in the second direction. A first opening of the frame is positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is exposed to an outside through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A developing cartridge comprising:
a casing configured to accommodate toner therein, the casing having a first side and a second side spaced apart from the first side in a first direction, the casing having a third side and a fourth side spaced apart from the third side in a second direction, the casing having an upper surface facing upward and a lower surface facing downward; a developing roller rotatable about a developing roller axis extending in the first direction, the developing roller including a developing roller shaft extending in the first direction, the developing roller being positioned at the third side of the casing; a coupling rotatable about a coupling axis extending in the first direction, the coupling being positioned at the first side of the casing; a supply roller rotatable about a supply axis extending in the first direction, the supply roller including a supply roller shaft extending in the first direction; and a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, the electrical contact surface being positioned at the lower surface of the casing, the electrical contact surface facing downward, the electrical contact surface being closer to the first side of the casing than the second side of the casing is to the first side of the casing in the first direction, the electrical contact surface being closer to the third side of the casing than the fourth side of the casing is to the third side of the casing in the second direction, wherein the supply roller shaft is closer to the electrical contact surface than the developing roller shaft is to the electrical contact surface in the second direction.

2 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrode positioned at the second side of the casing, and a conductive path that extends from the electrode to the first side of the casing in the first direction.

3 . The developing cartridge according to claim 2 ,
wherein the electrode is made of an electrically conductive resin.

4 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a developing gear rotatable with the developing roller shaft, the developing gear being positioned at the first side of the casing; and a cover covering at least a portion of the first side of the casing, the cover being positioned at the first side of the casing, the cover covering at least a portion of a circumference of the developing gear, wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned at the cover.

5 . The developing cartridge according to claim 4 ,
wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned at an outer surface of the cover.

6 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the developing cartridge is for use with a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum.

7 . The developing cartridge according to claim 6 ,
wherein the developing cartridge is configured to be attached to the drum cartridge.

8 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the storage medium is positioned at the lower surface of the casing.

9 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the storage medium includes a memory configured to store information of the developing cartridge, the memory being positioned at the lower surface of the casing.

10 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle positioned at the fourth side of the casing.

11 . The developing cartridge according to claim 10 ,
wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned between the developing roller shaft and the handle in the second direction, and wherein the electrical contact surface is closer to the developing roller shaft than the handle is to the developing roller shaft in the second direction.

12 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the casing includes a plurality of ribs, the plurality of ribs being positioned at the lower surface of the casing, and wherein the plurality of ribs are positioned closer to the second side of the casing in the first direction than the electrical contact surface of the storage medium is to the second side of the casing in the first direction.

13 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the upper surface is spaced apart from the lower surface in a third direction, and wherein the supply roller shaft is closer to the electrical contact surface than the developing roller shaft is to the electrical contact surface in the third direction.

14 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Takashi
• Abe Koji

Classifications

• G03G15/0863 Primary

  provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory · CPC title

• G03G2215/0697

  being an electronically readable memory · CPC title

• G03G15/0865

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title

• G03G2215/085

  Stirring member in developer container · CPC title

• G03G21/1825

  Pivotable subunit connection · CPC title